Back To School Meal Planner Tips

Tue, 21 Aug 2018

School is fast approaching and the lazy days of summer eating will soon be a wistful menu. If you need a kick start when it comes to family food, then check out our back to school meal planner tips.

Breakfasts:

Tropical Granola Pots

While breakfast is undoubtedly the bedrock meal of any healthy family, it’s essential to create breakfasts that are ready in minutes, nourishing and delicious. Oats tick almost all the boxes when it comes to what children need to fuel them for the day ahead, and if your children balk at the idea of porridge, why not whip up a batch of yummy healthy breakfast bars that can be served with some fruit and a glass of milk for a rounded start to the day? Eggs are always a winner – we are a big fan of fritattas made with leftover vegetables from last night’s dinner. Give kids a brain boost with some wholemeal toast and perfect scrambled eggs to warm tummies and keep hunger pangs at bay til lunchtime.

Packed lunches for the whole family can be a huge stresser for kids and parents alike. For tips on what to put into lunchboxes, check out our top tips from our favourite parenting bloggers here. Try to include wholegrain options where possible, with a protein rich snack like cheese or leftover roast chicken to fuel tired brains. If you are sending your little one off to school for the first time, give them a lunch that they are familiar with, and don’t forget to include a little love note from Mum and Dad.

When it comes to dinner, take the stress-free route by creating a rotating meal list. Write down all your family favourites and rotate them in the midweek. Batch cook on the weekend, freezing meals that can be reheated in under 30 minutes – essential for those of us with lots of after school activities to work into the calendar. Repurpose meals. Roast a chicken on a Sunday and turn leftovers into chicken fajitas or a chicken soup. Finally, when it comes to organising dinners – keep it simple. The aim of the game is to get wholesome food into your family, not create Michelin-starred dinners every night.